and good sunday to everybody. temperatures below freezing in many spots. it's a bright and sunny start. take a look at the current temperatures across the area. you can get a sense of the early-morning chill lingering out there. culpepper, 27. 33 in downtown washington. annapolis, it's 35 at the naval academy, and 30 degrees in leesburg. a little hint of a breeze out there. nowhere as much of a wind as yesterday. and the windchills are in the 20s. it's sunny and cold today, but that's all right, pleasant enough to be outside. good enough for the ravens and redskins, and we will talk about christmas eve and christmas day and beyond. >> got it all covered, chuck. thanks. holiday shoppers may be trying to squeeze in the last-minute purchases today, and they want to bring plenty of patience. look at the packed parking lots

in bethesda. security helped to direct traffic and even some police officers had a little fun doing it. if you still had shopping to do, can you expect plenty of company. it's one of the last shopping days before the big day and probably going to be one of the busiest, too. and things are already bustling, derrick? >> if you get here anytime soon, you will see something you probably won't see later in the day. that's opened parking spaces. there are cars more here than you would see on a typical sunday, but this is not a typical sunday, it's the last sunday before christmas and a time for weekend shoppers to do their last bit of weekend shopping. this is a good indication for business. last year, things were about the same, but we talked to somebody from marketing here, and they tell us there's a different

crowd. these people seem more willing to spend money and more willing to shop, and a lot of stores are willing to take advantage of that by offering some of the black friday sales, and so it's a good time to get out of here if you have that last-minute item to pick up. there is one of the great places to come, and we're live in fairfax. >> a lot of stores returning to their black friday specials. and today there will be another anti-gun rally in our area. demonstrators will gather and protest in front of a gun shop in falls church. it's a demonstration urging lawmakers to pass more strict gun laws. last night a group project gun violence organized the protest. they say the school shooting in connecticut should help force a

national discussion on gun laws. and in 90 minutes, david gregory will have a discussion with wayne lapierre. he said the country needs more guns and called for armed security officers in every school in america. and david gregory says the nra is used to facing criticism and in the past emerged unscathed. >> we have seen this kind of popular outrage, if you will, after these massacres and then nothing actually comes of it. the political decision will be the president's in terms of how hard he wants to drive this. >> wayne lapierre will sit down with david gregory. you can catch it here on nbc 4. and president obama and the first lady will join others in

saying good-bye to the senator. he fought in world war ii and was awarded the medal. he became the first japanese to become elected to the senate, and he was 88 years old. it will be a short holiday trip for the president, and he will return to washington after christmas to deal with the dooming fiscal cliff. president obama said the break is good for lawmakers to think about a possible solution and he suggested a smaller deal that would just extend unemployment benefits and prevent middle class tax hikes. if no deal is reached by january 1st, everybody's taxes go up and there will be severe cuts to the federal budget. >> and mark sanford said he is considering running for the seat he once held in congress. he was a two-term governor that got international attention when he went missing in 2009, and he

originally said he was hiking the appalachian trail, but he was visiting his mistress in argentina. sanford's now ex-wife, jenny, says she is considering a run for that seat. and police say a serial arsonist struck again overnight. it happened at an abandoned storage structure and it's the 37th time since november 14th that somebody has set fire to an abandoned structure. voting is over for egypt's controversial proposed constitution, and one side already claiming victory. preliminary result released by the brotherhood show 30% of people turned out to vote.

the brotherhood has accurately predicted results in the past. next stop, a virginia man's shocking discovery when his grandson woke him up in the middle of the night. >> and rg3 prepares to make his big return. here why the star quarterback says fans should not get too excited about today's game. plus, no happy holidays here. the factor spoiling the fun and joy for some people this time of year. >> you can join us right now on facebook and twitter, just search

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killing everybody, including a 9-year-old boy, and the grandfather escaped. the boy's parents and grandmother also died in the fire. firefighters say they don't think the home had smoke detectors. and crews are trying to find out what caused the fire in the 8600 block of camille in potomac. the family got out of the home unscathed but they are looking now for temporary shelter. next up, we have an end of the era for children's television this weekend. plus, an emotional show of gr gratitude in the middle of an airport. plus, we will show you the preparations for christmas in the holy city of bethlehem.

and we probably won't see a white christmas this year in d.c., but there's a chance

in the rush to get things done during the busy holiday season most can agree there are many things that can really test our patience. there are plenty of ways to overcome the things you dread most about this crazy time of year. >> reporter: the crowds of christmas not surprisingly top the 2012 list of the most dreaded aspects of the holiday season. >> crowds and long lines. battling elbow to elbow in stores and getting the perfect gift, it drives people crazy. >> he analyzes the survey of some 1,100 americans and what

they dread the most this time of year. coming in in second place is worry about weight gain. >> people over indulge this time of year and they told us their biggest indulgences are desserts, pastries and cookies, are it, so watch out for that. >> and the survey also uncovered dread overrunning up debt. >> it's still weighing on peoples' minds and they are trying to be, if not frugal, very responsible with their shopping dollars. >> obviously many people travel over the holiday, so wherever you go avoid frustration and leave early. one of the most surprising results, 60% of those asked said they dread getting gift cards,

that they preferred to receive christians believe is the birthplace of jesus christ is ready for the holidays. a 50-foot tree stands outside the square. streets are decorated with christmas lights, and people dressed up as santa claus and handed out sweets last night. tourism has been increasing in recent years after years of fighting that started in 2000. >> they even have a blowup santa. we could start seeing those pop up around here too, after the wind is gone from yesterday. >> what can they do? pump it up. >> i have been saying that all morning. >> yeah. >> high energy, guys. high energy. >> it's the way you said it. you are supposed to do the fist pumping and shouting -- >> i don't think the fist pump is cool any more.

>> me and cool, we don't spend too much time together, so you can do the fist pump in my presence. today no wind, no clouds. just all sunshine. and yes, indeed, it's after the winter solstice, and that means the days are getting longer, yes, we have six more seconds of daylight than yesterday and tomorrow nine more seconds than today, and the days will get longer all the way up through the spring equinox in march, and then we will had 22 more minutes of daylight a day opposed to the seconds. and it's chilly on the way outside to get your bags now. temperatures, 20s and 30s across the area. we will see a quick rise with all the sunshine out there. all in beautiful charles county,

maryland, temperatures in the 40s by noontime today pushing 50 degrees this afternoon with 100% sunshine in la plata. so a chilly day, and great weather for football. no doubt about that. the redskins on the road in philly today. 1:00 kickoff there and temperatures in the 40s. the next weather maker is starting to show signs of life down the gulf coast, starting to tap the gulf moisture. it will bring the moisture northbound into the cold air, and as a result we will keep a close eye on the forecast. sunny and quiet and nice and beautiful outside and nothing to worry about. skies will remain clear all through the overnight -- through most of the overnight as well, and by early tomorrow the clouds will be coming back in place by 11:00 in the morning. this area of opinipink and blue outside the shenandoah valley,

there's a chance for sleet pellets. we could get a little sleet, primarily out near i-81, east of the blue ridge. and by 3:00 tomorrow afternoon, any precipitation we will get tomorrow will be very light but, again, the opportunity for a little light sleet across parts of southern pennsylvania, northern and western maryland, do be careful tomorrow if you are driving and the roads are getting wet. the good news, it's a fast-moving system and will be out of here in time for christmas morning. so sunday night good day to make the trip to grandma's house, a good day for that. and here is the all-important 7-day forecast. it will stay cool around here for the next few days, but not unseasonably so. and tomorrow watch out for the rain drops and maybe a passing sleet pellet or two, but the precipitation amounts will be very light. tuesday, christmas day, dry, and another chance of moisture and

cold air on wednesday, wednesday night and thursday, and that one we will need to watch more closely. >> thank you, chuck. looks like many of us are willing to lie when it comes to getting some time off work. a new survey of more than 500 full time workers found 47% of them have lied. 27% say they have used a death to wrack up vacation days. 72% of co-workers thinks when somebody calls in sick they are faking it. >> you have called in sick, and then all of a sudden you get better. and you already called out sick, so you won't go to work or anything. >> every time you call in sick, i do believe it. i am not part of that 72%. >> thank you.

rg3 ready for liftoff today. >> and another day, another wizard's loss. we have you covered in this morning's "sports minute." >> good sunday morning, everybody. we start with a trip to the doctors. after missing last week's game versus the browns, robert griffin iii was a full participant in practice all week. the coach said he would have to wait until the doctors clears him to clear him as a starter, and yesterday cleared by doctors, rg3 will be starting, and don't expect him to start slow. he is ready to get down to business. >> we control our destiny and we did what we were supposed to do, and we won and that's what we have to continue to do. guys can't get happy now. we still have one game, and then another game after that. to the hardwood, wizards hosting the pistons at the

verizon center, and detroit was running early. and then crawford and the wizards battle in the fourth and get it within seven, but it's not enough. wizards lose their seventh straight, 96-87. george mason visiting richmond. and cory edwards gives it up. a three-pointer at the buzzer. nails it! 22 points including that buzzer beater pwhap a thriller. 67-64 the final score. and that's your sports minute. hope your sunday is a good one. the horrific shootings in connecticut sparked a nationwide movement to help others. >> a card to dunkin' donuts, and i thought who couldn't use a cup of coffee better than a truck

driver? >> and ann curry suggested 26 acts of kindness to honor those killed in the shootings. some included delivering trees or something as small as paying for somebody behind you at the coffee shop. it was already exciting enough for some colorado troops -- here we go. for some colorado troops, but their homecoming was made sweeter because of random acts from strangers. >> reporter: among the crowds during this busy holiday season, and among the hustle and bustle, there was a different crowd. a special group of people. >> great, thanks. >> a group of people like jerry,

they just want to take a little time out to say thanks to those that sacrifice so much. >> thank you for your service. merry christmas. >> maybe for somebody that didn't get welcomed otherwise, maybe that's making a difference. >> reporter: oh, it's making a difference. for soldier after soldier who could have been everywhere else but home for christmas. >> feels good to have people appreciate what i do. >> reporter: and folks like jerry really appreciate what they do. >> as a parent, you -- you pray a lot. >> reporter: jerry's daughter will also have to deploy soon, but before she does a crowd like this made up of people like jerry welcome her home.

>> oh, welcome home! oh, we brought a few friends. >> yeah. >> reporter: because after all, the christmas season wouldn't be the same if we were not thankful for what we have. >> this is chelsea! there's no question, this is the best part of christmas. >> that was megan fitzgerald reporting. i don't think chelsea will get free time at home. >> they come together every year to do this and welcome all the troops home. it would be so awesome if we could do that at airports across the country, and during this time we especially keep their servicemen in our hearts and minds for everything that they do. >> maybe that will inspire others to do it. it's the end of an era, after 21 years and more than

7,000 shows together, and the original wiggles are saying good-bye. they took the stage for their final concert together. this was last night in australia. anthony is staying in the band, but three new recruits will join him. the original wiggles say they had the most amazing time together and everybody is going to miss the original group. the time is 9:26. we have a lot of early risers up and getting on the road this morning. >> that's right, so next we will check out travel conditions in our area for those coming and going out of our region right now. and an unfortunate crime. before the holidays, how a group targeted a fedex driver. plus, the new location that could be in the works for an

it's a big story this

weekend, travel. now we take a live look out on the roadways. this is i-95 at the springfield interchange in virginia. yesterday it was bottlenecked in this area, and so far it appears things are smooth sailing. >> looks good. >> good morning, and welcome to "news4 today." i am angie goff. >> i am richard jordon. it's december 23rd, 2012. >> let's check in with our meteorologist, chuck bell, and see if he thinks it's cold. he is outside on the storm winter deck. >> you think it's a cold morning, but you are inside. how do you know it's cold? the temperatures out here on the front lawn of channel 4, it says 37, and that's if you are in the sun, and if you are in the shade it's cooler than that. on the whole it's not a bad day to get outside and walk around and take the dog for an extra

long walk this afternoon. downtown at national airport, it's 33. that's what it feels like on the front lawn, a little hint of a breeze. but no wind like yesterday. yesterday, winds gusted over 50 miles per hour. frederick, maryland, a 47-mile-per-hour gust, and so no more of that craziness for today. cool temperatures for sure in the upper 20s and low 30s now, but a gorgeous afternoon coming our way. temperatures will inch their way into the mid and upper 40s for a time today. i will twitter a picture of me outside all by myself. >> you forget, we have to get in here somehow are another. we have been outside this morning. >> it comes with a job, if you are a weather man, you have to be out there -- >> yeah, in the elements. this morning, the travel

rush is on with two days -- only two days until christmas. flying is looking easier than it has in the last few days, between this week's midwest snowstorm and yesterday's very high winds. those winds delayed flights for reagan international, and many arriving flights couldn't land. this morning, flights are running on time. right now, plenty of people hitting the roads. let's take a live look at 395 near the 14th street bridge in virginia. things are looking busier, but still clear so far, and that's likely to change as people set out later today. drivers heading out of town saw big backups near 95 that bottlenecked through the springfield area. and this is connecticut avenue, and there is good news, work across the region is suspended for the holiday weekend to keep traffic moving. if you are hitting the road

this weekend you are probably noticing a smaller hit on your wallet. the national average for a gallon of gas is 18 cents less than just a month ago. d.c. still has the highest gas prices in our area at $3.43 a gallon, and virginia is the cheapest with drivers paying $3.15, and maryland, $3.31 a gallon, 9 cents cheaper than a month ago. this just into the news room. metro is reporting that all the entrance escalators are out at the medical center station in bethesda. and metro is trying to fix a mechanical problem there, and the agency is still open but they did request buses for those that can't get to the platform. and the weekend and next weekend there will not be track work on four of the five metro lines. the only exception is single tracking between greenbelt and

college park on the green line, and that's from 7:00 in the morning to 6:00 p.m. today, and every other train will start or end at college park rather than greenbelt. normal weekend track work will pick back up after the weekend on new year's. and the story you will see only on news4, d.c. are on the hunt for suspects that robbed and attacked a fedex driver as he was making deliveries. it happened yesterday morning on hollywood street southeast. sources say the driver was forced to the ground at gun point while the robbers took the packages from the truck. a pastor went outside later and saw the driver laying on the streets. >> i said are you all right, and he raised up and said i thought i was still being robbed. >> sources say the crooks were driving a car that looked like a taxicab, and police say this time of year is dangerous for

drivers, and they are instructed to watch to make sure nobody is following them. the national park service is asking a rental company to move out by the end of january. the man that operates the facility says he received a notification letter from the park service on wednesday, and he says they have been operating from the same location on the river since the 1940s, and he plans to fight that request. now, gusty winds yesterday morning gave firefighters a hard time as they tried to put out the fire in hillcrest heights. it took almost 50 firefighters two hours to get it under control. nobody was hurt and still no word this morning on what caused that fire. the debate over where to move fbi headquarters now includes montgomery county. the washington post says the county is looking at different sites for headquarters.

the general services administration wants to move the fbi because they say the jay edgar mover building is deteriorating and no longer suits the agency's needs. coming up, the trail of damage left behind from all the windy weather yesterday. and plus a first in the week ahead for casinos

our wednesday's child this week got to try out her culinary skills, cooking up one of her favorite dishes. this is not the first time sabrina has been featured on "wednesday's child," and she is hoping this time around a family will come forward and adopt her. here is news4's barbara harrison. >> reporter: behind the big glass door that leads to washington's best restaurants, we found a chef waiting for us. >> who is this lovely young lady? hello, sabrina. >> she is interested in learning to cook as well as you do. >> i can do that. we can go back in the kitchen and show you a few things. what is your favorite thing to

eat? >> liver. >> that's what we will make today. this is my kitchen. >> reporter: in the kitchen, the staff was alerted to cook the favorite liver dish. >> i put pepper on it, and then i put it on a grill, and then i flipped it -- i flipped it over, and then i put it in the oven. >> reporter: sabrina, while she likes to cook, says she has something else in her career. >> why a lawyer? >> because i like to argue. >> she is funny. she is helpful with her staff and likes to cook in the kitchen and likes to help her teachers. she's an all-around wonderful child. >> reporter: we first met sabrina two years ago when she was 15. she showed off her dancing skills. she said cooking is a hobby,

too, and she was artistic. >> she passes the test. if you want to come back and cook with us, i would love it. >> reporter: how did that liver and onions taste? >> mmm. >> if you have room in your heart and home for sabrina or another child that is waiting please call the special adoption hotline, and that number is 1-88-to-adopt me. some students got help picking out presents thanks to local police officers. montgomery police officers teamed up with kids for the annual shop with a copy vent. the students each had $100 to pick out presents for their families. and police say this is a way to connect with people living in the community. >> reaching out to the children at such an early age, hopefully

we can bridge the gap to where there is no type of dissension between the department and the community. >> the cards were donated by target through the heroes and helpers program, and a program making an impact in the community. >> i did that with a different school, and good kids. >> taking care of their families. >> a little something for everybody in the 7-day forecast, and even for those of us that like a little snow in our lives,

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welcome back. it may be hard to think about air-conditioning on a cold winter day like this, but a new study finds that staying cool in the summer apparently saves

lives. the study published finds air-conditioning cuts premature tkpets by 80% since 1980. researchers studied mortality rates and saw a steep droppoff in deaths in developed countries over the last 50 years. this is not minnesota or north dakota, but it's actually california. weather experts predicting heavy snow the entire weekend with some areas getting as much as 4 feet. weather was so bad in the northern part of the state it shut down the highway yesterday. >> trying to get to tahoe for christmas, and pulled over and saw a small sign that said "road closed." we thought they were kidding, but they weren't. >> the national weather service issued a hazardous weather out look for the san francisco bay area. there's a lot of cleaning up today after storms passed through upstate new york. the storms brought snow as well

as high winds toppling trees. one giant one came down on the elderly couple's house. it took a crane, a bucket truck and wood chipper to clean everything up. the good news is, there's a plan for the couple to get back into their home before christmas. pretty ambitious. >> we had strong winds, but didn't causes damage. >> we saw early power outages, but wasn't as bad as it could have been. >> we had a discussion at a weather workshop two weeks ago, and we think the reason we had the cutback, a lot of winds that were weakened had been brought down and the power companies went out and took care of the trees near power lines, and that could be helping, so good news for all concerned there. not to mention, it's nice to have a quiet day on your

weekend. you might be fighting crowds at the mall, but won't be fighting mother nature. look at the beautiful blue sky over washington this morning. not much in the way of cloud cover. you are looking northbound towards the city. when i was out on the front lawn a minute ago i was looking to the west and you could see a few high and thin clouds, but they will not do anything to dim out the sunshine. 33 degrees right now and a light breeze out of the southwest at 5 miles per hour. that's not going to bother you either. and temperatures on their way up with all the sunshine now. most locations should be back in the mid and upper 30s in the next couple hours. and front royal, virginia, 38 degrees, and up to 42 degrees by noontime today. and up into the mid and upper 40s this afternoon. 47 by 3:00 in the afternoon, and back down to 40 by 6:00 p.m. if you are going out to go to the movies or dinner this

evening, you are going to need your winter court. and headed up to the ravens game, the only thing better than a redskins win is a giants loss. come on ravens. temperatures will be chilly, and bring your bundle up for sure. the game kicks off at 4:00. sundown before half-time, so a cold second half of the game. quiet up and down the seaboard, and out to the west, there's the big storm plowing into the sierra range. and that energy and moisture will come our way and bring us another chance for maybe winter weather towards the second half of the week. and the next storm is down along the gulf coast. making steady progress in our direction. won't get here today. we enjoy the sunshine and quiet weather for your sunday, but the cold air, overnight tonight, and clear skies will allow for another chilly subfreezing start in many places, so the cold air

will be in place tomorrow, as the moisture comes in over the top of it. here we have the future cast model by 10:30 tomorrow morning. and we will watch this carefully, and best chances along to the north and west of i-81, and not much of a freezen precip threat in the corridor here. so here is the all-important 7-day forecast. nice today. nothing to complain about. tomorrow clouds and rain drops for most, but sleet pelets for some. not expecting any widespread travel problems. christmas day looks great. the day after christmas, wednesday, wednesday night into thursday, that will be a closer call for us to watch and more importantly, next weekend with real cold air in place, we may have an opportunity for snowflakes next saturday. >> oh, boy. >> snow lovers, take notice.

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some schools say there was a higher absence from school on friday. this year the number was three times as high. old mill high school had a 57% absent rate, seven times higher than last year. a school spokesman said it was a combination of winter break and rumors of a planned school shooting and the possibility of a mayan apocalypse. and next is "the chris matthews show," and that is followed by "meet the press" with david gregory. >> coming up, it's the christmas edition, part two, of the annual

awards show. who showed the best political chops and what were the worst mowments in politics this year, and what is a sign of things to come for this year? it's our merry christmas roundtab roundtable. good morning. the nra remains defiant in the wake of the newtown shooting that left 20 children dead, and calling for armed guards at every school. the head of the national rival association, wayne lapierre joins me. will there be a debt deal before we reach the fiscal cliff on january 1? and the political roundtable on the president's priorities for the new year. that's all coming up on "meet the press" this morning.

and now, the state's biggest casino in national harbor will begin 24 hour operations, and the expansion is part of the bill maryland voters approved last month. and then tomorrow is the holiday spectacle. the water skiing santa and his knee boarding reindeer. he will step on to some water skis and jet up and down the potomac. rain or shine it's going to happen, and the best view is from national harbor. this is the 27th year for the event. >> we know santa will be a little busy for his trip around the world, so he spent his saturday taking a quick swim. kids got to see st. nick in the water with fish and sea turtles and all the other ocean creatures out there. hopefully the reindeer don't get

jealous seeing santa with the wish. >> what can this guy not do? he water skis. he runs the sleigh, and knows how to dive. if you are headed out to the harbor tomorrow, a good day for it. >> won't be as pretty as today, but it will be a fine day to get out there and show santa a little love. >> all right. >> that's going to do it for news4 today, and thank you for joining us. >> wake up with us tomorrow morning. we begin at

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